make do and mend for tougher times

fuddle

kittie wrote: »

My advice is to not commit to buying lots of fresh potatoes all at once, unless you can process them sooner rather than later

Really useful advice kittie and saved me from heart ache as that is what I do. i buy a lot put them in the dark cupboard in a brown pillow case. I shall buy as and when for the forseeable future, thank you.

Possession

Goodness I haven't been away very long and needed to do a big catch up you chatty lot!:D
Sorry about your curtains Fuddle. There should definitely have been an apology, and the fact that there wasn't suggests that kind of thing is all too common an occurrence.
Nice to read about your lovely dogs Kate and Smiley. I have to live vicariously through other people's dogs. Mind you, it's cheaper.
GQ good luck with the Great Slug Massacre of 2012. Although I might prefer slugs to grass snakes. :eek:
I have an achy breaky body this morning, as I went to a do last ight and spent 4 hrs standing up, just the kind of thing I can't do anymore. I had knee replacements the year I was 40, as I could barely walk across a room anymore, and I'm mostly OK now but I still can't stand for long periods. Oddly it isn't my knees which hurt but my back and hips, but anyway I'm taking it easy this morning. DD has gone to a friend's Build a Bear party to increase her already considerable bear population and DH has taken DS to the pool in the next town which has a wild and wacky slide. Luckily it's very reasonably priced. So I'm having the giant-est cup of tea and defrosting some frozen bananas a bit so that I can make banana and peanut butter icecream.
The do last night was rather bittersweet - our Head is retiring and the school threw a party for him, totally stressing him out because he didn't know what was happening in 'his' school. It was both happy and sad - he is much loved and it will be a huge wrench to see him go, he's been there for 25 years and has created a really happy family. None of the teachers have left in the last 8 years for a start, which tells you something. I fear the new Head will have big shoes to step into. I didn't get home until midnight, then couldn't sleep for aching so it needs to be a quiet one today and an early night tonight.
Good luck with everyone's vegetable battles!

mardatha

I'm doing the same - buying ordinary tatties for now, but also tinned and powdered for later on if the real thing gets dear. Sainsbugs Basics tinned pots are 19p and are fine thrown into a stew. Likewise their mash, is fine on top of shepherds pie.
Sunny and windy here but really cool, cant go out without a jumper on. Summer is just a joke!

Shropshirelass

Morning all, it was sunny here when I woke up, but now the washing is on the line, the clouds have rolled up.

Had a bit of a disaster last night, washing machine on the blink. I have been using it a bit more than usual, as our little old Westie Poppie deteriorated quickly (doggie dementia) and sadly passed away 10 days ago. Westie no. 2, Archie, was as broken hearted as we were, and has needed a lot of support. He has been wetting his bed again so had lots of washing, yesterdays now still dripping.

WM is about 16 years old, so probably needs replacing. Poppie on the other hand is not replacable.

Think I'll go and cut back some of the garden jungle before it rains. Good luck with all baking and food preparation. Not doing any serious cooking till roast chicken for tea.

xxx

Sunshine4

Morning everyone,
Fuddle Sorry to hear about your curtains, glad you got them in the end.

Friend called in last night with some things for us which I though was lovely
18 eggs, 3 jars homemade jam, and some lovely fresh vegs all from her brothers farm a few miles away.She though it would cheer me up, I had 3 tops sitting out that I was going to put in ebay. She thought they were lovely told her to try them on, they fitted so she went home with them. So we were both really happy with our items.

She also saw the scarf that I am knitting and said she will get me some orders from the farm if I want. So that will give me a few pennys extra as I just sit and knit at night.

Popperwell

Morning All,

The sun has been out all morning but now looks as though it could rain. St. Swithuns Day so is that another 40 days? They say our warmest day was in May.

Feel happier and more positive but that's until think about those changes mentioned earlier...I used to say to Mum if she'd had me sooner I could be retired now and would be left alone.

Anthow, having a lie in, nothing to get up or go out for. Will do a little housework later and have something to eat. Probably finish the beans and have another pork burger(possibly fry some onions this time)

I've been listening to the Archers Omnibus, now Desert Island Discs, Clue and the Food Programme next.

Then all the favourite music shows start. That's what I associate with Sundays...and Mum

[Deleted User]

no sun here, not even a ray, drat and I even put a t shirt on. I`ll be off to the allotment but am waiting for the wind to do a bit of drying up there first. I`m disappointed with the weather today

Ds is going to work and live in glagow from bedfordshire. He got really fed up with the mad everyday rush in the SE, travelling to do his work in the centre of london. He got a good new job up there and he and his long term oh have sold up and will leave in two weeks to a very nice rental, while they look for a home. I knew he had a scottish ancestor but did the research yesterday and am gobsmacked to see that his great great grandfather on the male side, came from the very area that he will be going to. Now that is a tug from the roots as far as I am concerned

Was watching an iplayer prog about the hidden streets of london. The absolute sheer poverty of the 1850s, it was in every town. We don`t know we are born. Looking at dh`s family line from the various censuses, first in scotland, emigrating to england, then being a lodger for years in multi occupancy houses. Not that long ago, dh and I were facilitated by that line to get the wherewithal to end up where we are now with some savings and a nice home. That facilitator was our parents generation, they crossed the link between absolute poverty and took on board education and aspiration and we in my generation are the ones who benefited.

All too easy for many of us to take our living standards foregranted

Popperwell

Sunshine4 wrote: »

Morning everyone,

Friend called in last night with some things for us which I though was lovely
18 eggs, 3 jars homemade jam, and some lovely fresh vegs all from her brothers farm a few miles away.She though it would cheer me up, I had 3 tops sitting out that I was going to put in ebay. She thought they were lovely told her to try them on, they fitted so she went home with them. So we were both really happy with our items.

She also saw the scarf that I am knitting and said she will get me some orders from the farm if I want. So that will give me a few pennys extra as I just sit and knit at night.

How lovely, there are still many good people in the world ccontary to what the media suggests if taken at face value. That's the kind of thing I would do...

PhGage

prepareathome wrote: »

This woman is organisation personified, but as she said she is trained via her church to step in for things like this and by golly they trained her well.

This is a rather moving account and I'm lost in admiration for such skills.

Are there no comparable courses in the UK? If not, is it at all possible that she and you might write an account of what was done and how you did it because it sounds like an ideal blueprint for others.

fuddle

mardatha wrote: »

I'm doing the same - buying ordinary tatties for now, but also tinned and powdered for later on if the real thing gets dear. Sainsbugs Basics tinned pots are 19p and are fine thrown into a stew. Likewise their mash, is fine on top of shepherds pie.

Another good idea thank you, powdered potato. Smash is the brand isn't it? I haven't had it for yours. Do the big 4 supermarkets/lidl Aldi do their own cheaper versions and if so where would I find it?

Thanks